Chicago Blackhawks: Analyzing every No. 1 pick since Patrick Kane

Remember that great choice the Edmonton Oiler had to make in 2010 between Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin? Well, they both turned out to be elite NHL players. The New Jersey Devils were presented with a similar choice when they won the draft lottery in 2017. Just like 2010, it had a clever name with two guys whose names started with the same letter. It was “Nico vs Nolan” when the Devils had to choose between Nico Hischier and Nolan Patrick.

Well, the Devils made the right decision and chose Nico Hischier with the pick. He has only been in the league for three seasons now and has been developing nicely. He is more in the boat of MacKinnon, Stamkos, and Nugent-Hopkins in terms of needing some more development on his offense. He already has an All-Star appearance under his belt and is becoming one of the better two-way centermen in the league.

Under less than ideal circumstances so far in New Jersey, Hischier has managed to put up 135 points in 209 games. His offense still needs a lot of improvement but he has shown mad skills on multiple occasions. It is only a matter of time before those numbers start to match the defensive side of his game. In five games against the Chicago Blackhawks, he has one goal and three assists for four points in five games. Hischier is going to be one of the better two-way forwards in the game.